If there is one particular breed of footballers that can never prove enough it is the forwards. The very fact that they largely determine the course of games as well as leagues has made them an important ingredient in every successful side. However, with greater prominence also comes greater scrutiny and needless to say, several footballers have found it tough to become consistent attacking threats despite possessing bagful of skills.
Quite a lot of young attackers have erupted onto the scene as every team is engaged in their own efforts of unearthing the next big player.
In this segment, we profile five young attackers who have become superstars in the current season owing to their impressive performances in front of the goal.
#5 Sandro Ramirez
The former Barcelona man has had a stellar time ever since he made the move to Malaga at the beginning of the ongoing season. Despite being one of the highly rated young strikers at the Catalan club, Ramirez, understandably, found game time very hard to come by as he made just 32 appearances for the senior side, many of which were in a bit-part capacity.
When Malaga swooped in to acquire his services, it did not take long for the player to agree on personal terms with the club and the move has paid rich dividends thus far for the Spaniard. Not only has he found regular game time, he has also been the leading forward at his new club, which in turn has established him as a feared striker in Spain.
Likened to David Villa for intensity in and around the box as well as his killer instincts, the 21-year-old is making the most of the opportunities he is receiving at Malaga.
In a season where Malaga seem to be struggling as they sit in the 11th spot, three places adrift of their position at the end of last season, Ramirez has been the biggest positive. He has scored 14 goals and provided two assists to help his side remain in contention for a top-half finish and is deemed as the leading attacking figure of his side.
#4 Timo Werner
RB Leipzig have been a revelation this season. The side that only earned its first ever promotion to the Bundesliga last season has already qualified for the upcoming season of the UEFA Champions League and are seen as the true contenders for Bayern Munich’s throne.
One man, who has been in sublime form ever since joining them, is the young German forward Timo Werner. The 21-year-old, who made sporadic headlines as one for the future during his time at VFB Stuttgart, has arrived on the bigger stage and has done it in style.
Werner, whose biggest attributes are his pace as well as his energy on and off the ball, wasted no time in establishing himself as the premier striker at Leipzig and has repaid his management’s faith in him by scoring goals for fun.
While he does score a lot of goals from very close range, one must credit him for finding the requisite time and space inside congested boxes and also keeping his nerve to convert the chances that come his way (He has a 30% conversion in the Bundesliga, which is phenomenal for a player of his age).
Having scored 19 goals and assisted another four in the 28 appearances he has made for his new club, Werner is being talked about as the future of the German attack and should he continue to put them in the back of the net, there’s no reason why he should not improve on his solitary German cap.
#3 Andrea Belotti
One of the major issues haunting the fans of Italian national team was the absence of a world class striker in their set up. While the likes of Graziano Pelle and Mario Balotelli might be deemed good enough to wear the Azzurri colours by some fans, the lack of a fearsome striker truly troubled the fans. Of late, however, it looks like the emergence of Andrea Belotti has truly given these aforementioned some respite.
The Torino number nine has been in phenomenal form this season and despite his side not very well placed in the Italian Serie A table, he has been a breakout star. With 25 goals and five assists to his name, the former Palermo man has been the go to man for the Torino manager Siniša Mihajlovic.
A player whose skill on the ball is immensely complemented by his industriousness off it, Belotti has taken the Italian league by the storm in his second season with the Turin club and is already being chased by numerous big clubs.
#2 Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala had been hailed as Lionel Messi’s heir apparent for a long time. He had already become a household name in Italian football during his time at Palermo as he showcased a knack of scoring goals. While he did score 23 goals in the previous season, it is perhaps his performances in the current season that have truly brought him to the spotlight the in global footballing fraternity.
The creative player might still be behind his countryman Gonzalo Higuain when it comes to attacking duties at Juventus, but that has not stopped him from making himself one of the most feared forwards in not only Italy but throughout Europe. His wonderful brace against the Catalan giants Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, a performance which overshadowed Messi’s exploits, has imprinted Dybala in the memories of millions of fans and deservedly so.
With the Serie A title as well as the UEFA Champions League title in his sights, La Joya (The Jewel) is a man on a mission and it looks unlikely that he will rest until the trophies arrive in the city of Turin.
On a professional level, his performance this season is believed to have turned the heads of some very powerful men in the game of football. A move is believed to be on the cards and now that he has conquered Italy, it's time the Argentine moves to another league to add to his credentials as the most complete young forward in the game.
#1 Kylian Mbappe
If there is one young footballer who has had the biggest impact in the footballing world, it is undoubtedly Monaco’s young prodigy Kylian Mbappe. The teenager who made his debut in the previous season, has taken his game to another pedestal this season and deserves the accolades that are being showered on him.
A goal scoring threat to even the best of defences, Mbappe has been hailed for his abilities on and off the ball and is being touted to be the next Thierry Henry by many. The 18-year old has already found the back of the net on 25 occasions and has also provided six assists and his lethal presence in and around the box has been mentioned as the primary reason for Monaco having a stellar season thus far.
He has scored some wonderful goals, left defenders on their heels and has also shown an experienced head to ensure that he gets the work done. With the Golden boy trophy all but his, Mbappe’s rise in the current season has been phenomenal and his performances are believed to have made him a player extensively discussed in the meetings set to take place Monaco.
With his name already doing the rounds when it comes to transfer speculation, it remains to be seen if he will remain a Monaco player next season. However, given his talent, he would not come cheap.
